Pam St Clement will leave EastEnders later this year after 25 years as Pat Butcher | Daily Mail Online comments She has played the mouthy and fashion faux pas prone Pat Butcher on Albert Square for over a quarter of a century. But EastEnders actress Pam St Clement, one of Walford's longest serving stars, is set to quit the show. The actress, 69, who joined the show in 1986, will be leaving the show at the end of the year Hanging up those earring: EastEnders actress Pat St Clement, who plays Pat Butcher/Evans on the show will be leaving the soap at the end of the year Pam has said she had other things she wanted to do but did concede that leaving the soap would be like a 'bereavement'. During her colourful years in the show, Pat remarried several times, has gone to prison and enjoyed affairs with Walford characters such as infamous lothario Den Watts. The actress said: 'I have enjoyed 25 and a half wonderful years in EastEnders creating the character of Pat but feel it's time to hang up her earrings.' Oh Frank! Pam's character and former on-screen husband Frank.

The actress has been in the show for over 25 years Firm friends: Despite being love rivals at one time, Pat formed a strong bond with Peggy Mitchell (Pat St Clement) The loves of her life: Pat with third husband Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) and fourth husband Roy Evans (Tony Caunter) Pat Butcher - A Life in Walford 1986 - Arrives in Walford to inform ex Pete Beale he is not the father of her son Simon. 1987 - Returns to prostitution, but is assaulted in Albert Square and left for dead.

Reunites with old flame Frank Butcher and takes over running of the Queen Vic 1989 - Marries Frank in a cockney-style wedding before setting up her own taxi firm PatCabs 1992 - Pat is arrested for drink-driving after she knocks down a teenage girl in her taxi on Christmas Eve when she is just over the limit 1993 - After the girl later dies in hospital, Pat is jailed for six months 1994 - Left devastated when husband Frank has a breakdown and flees the Square, leaving Pat and his children in financial ruin 1995 - Falls in love with impotent car dealer Roy Evans 1996 - Despite the return of Frank, Pat goes on to marry Roy, who struggles to deal with his jealously over her ex-husband 2000 - Pat has an affair with Frank - who is then-married to Peggy Mitchell. When Roy finds out, he throws Pat out, leaving her penniless and homeless again.

But within three months, Pat and Roy reconcile 2003 - Pat is widowed after Roy suffers a fatal heart attack and is forced to move into a bedsit when his son and heir to his estate Barry evicts her from the family home 2004 - A horrified Pat discovers former stepdaughter Janine pushed Barry to his death in Scotland and frames her for 'killing' Laura Beale - who actually fell down the stairs. 2005 - Pat inherits the estate of gangster Andy Hunter - her boss at the bookies 2006 - Has a brief affair with married Patrick Trueman 2008 - Left devastated after finding out Frank has died in Spain. She joins forces with former love rival Peggy at his funeral 2010 - Suffers a heart attack due to stress over her evil stepdaughter Janine 'Leaving the EastEnders family will be akin to a bereavement. But I'm looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue.' She was first seen after storming in to the Square to break the news to Pete Beale he was not the father of her son Simon Wicks.

Viewers have seen her marry Frank Butcher in 1989 and then her fourth husband, Roy Evans, in 1996. Her most famous scenes over her long career have often been moments of high drama, often involving slaps. In another climactic scene, Pat's affair with ex-husband Frank was exposed by Peggy, played by Barbara Windsor in front of regulars at the Queen Vic, ending with slaps for the pair who had betrayed her. Pat has also had a stint as the Vic's landlady, survived a heart attack, and been imprisoned for a hit and run. The BBC would not say how she will leave the show at this stage. St Clement is second only to Adam Woodyatt - who plays Ian Beale - as the longest-serving member of the cast. John Yorke, controller of BBC drama production, said: 'It's always a sad day when one of our stars leaves EastEnders but when those stars are as important as Pam St Clement and the character as iconic as Pat Butcher the blow is doubly hard. 'For most actors that would be legacy enough.

The fact that Pam is also a total professional, an endless champion of the programme and a joy to work with is an added bonus.' Executive producer of EastEnders Bryan Kirkwood, said: 'Over the years we've seen her develop from a shrew into a matriarch, and Pat's colour, warmth and steel have given EastEnders some of its most memorable stories. 'Pam will be missed by everyone in Walford, and we wish her the very best of luck in everything that comes next.' Do you have a story about a celebrity? Call the Daily Mail showbusiness desk on 0207 938 6364 or 0207 938 6683. For U.S. stories, phone 310 642 2317.

Here comes trouble: Pat was arrested at Christmas 1992 for drink driving, later serving six months in prison Revenge: Peggy frames her stepdaughter Janine Evans (Charlie Brooks) for the death of Laura Beale after learning she killed Barry Having a laugh: Pat attending a 60s party with Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), Mo Harris (Laila Morse) and Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) BBC - EastEnders: Pat Evans to leave EastEnders Pat Evans to leave EastEnders Post categories: Cast , News Guest Insider | 00:01 UK time, Friday, 8 July 2011 Later this year, EastEnders' much treasured leading lady Pam St Clement will hang up those uniquely crafted earrings for the final time when she waves a fond farewell to iconic matriarch Pat Evans . Pam has certainly not been shy of a few dramatic storylines during her time on Albert Square. From her EastEnders debut in 1986, it was quite clear this firey female wouldn't take any prisoners. Her first duty as Pat 'Wicks' was to inform Pete Beale he wasn't the father of her son Simon.

Pat went on to marry the love of her life Frank in a big East End wedding bash and became Pat 'Butcher' in 1989 but later moved on to become Pat 'Evans' when she wed the ever dependable Roy in 1996. It was always clear that Frank was the love of her life. Even when he married Peggy in 1999, Pat couldn't resist his masculine charms which resulted in the infamous double-slap scene behind the bar at The Queen Vic. In between the marriages, spats with Peggy Mitchell and out living numerous husbands, Pat has also survived a heart attack, done time in prison for a drunken hit and run, become land lady of The Vic and lived to tell the tale of a vicious encounter with the Walford attacker in 1987. Pam has said that she has "Leaving the EastEnders 'family' will be a kin to a bereavement but I'm looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue".

Bryan Kirkwood, EastEnders Executive Producer adds: "In Pat Harris-Beale-Wicks-Butcher-Evans, Pam St Clement has created one of the most iconic and loved characters in British TV history...Although it's too early to talk about how Pat will leave the Square, we can assure viewers it will culminate in a fitting storyline, not to be missed" What Pam's co-stars had to say about her departure... Barbara Windsor "Pam St Clement created a truly iconic character in Pat. I was privileged enough to be a part of her journey, as Peggy and Pat fought, laughed and cried together. Pam will be greatly missed by the company and the viewers. I personally adore Pam and I can't wait to start having all those lunches we promised each other." Steve McFadden "I always loved the on-screen relationship between Pam St Clement and Mike Reid especially when they worked behind the bar in the Queen Vic. This was one of the golden eras for me and I learnt a lot from both of them. Pam is full of integrity and I have always admired her. She is never one to shy away from speaking her mind about the programme as she has so much love for the show.

EastEnders will be a strange place without Pam, she is a lovely woman and I will truly miss her at EastEnders as I am sure all the viewers will." Patsy Palmer "Pam St Clement is the most professional person I have ever worked with. She is an amazing actress who never fails to make me cry when we do scenes together. She will be missed by everyone at EastEnders but I feel really priveledged that I have had this wonderful lady playing my nan for many years." Charlie Brooks "I'm devastated, Pam is one of my favourite people to work with and is also a close friend, I will miss her dearly". Sid Owen: "I'm very sad to see Pam go, we've had a really close working relationship over the years. She's such an icon and I will miss her a great deal". Nick Berry (I) - News NEWS 25 November 2011 3:58 AM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news » Max, Lauren, Abi and Tanya have been in the spotlight this week – but are they in the same league as the Fowlers or the Beales?

It's been a busy week for the Brannings on Albert Square. Max has come back into the fold, along with his malevolently pudding-faced newcomer brother Derek, and the entire family's story has been developed in new and unexpected ways. So far we've discovered that Lauren is a bit promiscuous, Abi is a shoplifter who might be but probably isn't pregnant, Tanya is a great deal rattier than anybody knew and that Max is some kind of prawny-looking superhero. But, most importantly, Branning Week has existed to reinforce the idea that the family is an absolute keystone of Albert Square. There aren't many EastEnders families that could shoulder an entire week of episodes like this. The Johnsons certainly couldn't, at least not since Lucas transformed into » - Stuart Heritage 13 November 2011 2:19 AM, PST | Digital Spy | See recent Digital Spy - Movie News news » Michael French has returned to EastEnders to film Pat Evans's funeral. The actor had been tipped to reprise his role as Pat's son David Wicks and was spotted shooting scenes with the rest of the cast yesterday.

However, Nick Berry , who was also expected to return as Simon Wicks , was not present at the shoot, the Daily Star Sunday reports. Pat, played by Pam St Clement , will be given a "traditional East End funeral" in a send-off described as the biggest the soap has ever filmed. An EastEnders insider said: "Pat's exit was always going to be huge and fans will not be disappointed. Her death has produced some of the soap's saddest-ever scenes and the funeral is no different. (more) » - By Colin Daniels We reveal the questions that television must answer Dynasty How did the entire Carrington family survive being mown down in a hail of bullets? At the end of season five of 80s mega-soap Dynasty, all the major characters got caught up in a military coup in Moldavia in the middle of a royal wedding. An estimated five gunmen burst in and riddled the room with sustained automatic weapon fire for 20 seconds. So that's five AK47s releasing a spray of 1,000 bullets, yet they still only managed to kill two minor characters and contrived to completely miss the other approximately 58 guests.

Even allowing for the ammo-repelling capabilities of shoulder pads and Elnett, that's outrageous. It's like they just did it as some big stunt cliffhanger and completely ignored basic ballistics. Julia Raeside Who is Gossip Girl ? It's the mystery that's lingered through all five seasons of the spiky teen drama: who is Gossip Girl ? » - Julia Raeside, Hannah Verdier, Rebecca Nicholson, Gwilym Mumford, Andrew Mueller, Phelim O'Neill 12 September 2011 3:32 AM, PDT | Digital Spy | See recent Digital Spy - Movie News news » EastEnders bosses are hoping to lure back Nick Berry and Michael French for Pat Evans's departure storyline, a report has claimed. The pair, who played Simon Wicks and David Wicks respectively, are being lined up to return to Albert Square later this year as part of a plotline that will see their mum Pat pass away, according to The Sun. Yesterday, it emerged that Pat will be killed off at Christmas following Pam St Clement 's recent decision to bow out from her iconic role.

It is thought that show chiefs now want Simon and David back in Walford for the story to ensure that Pat gets a send-off to remember. An EastEnders source told the newspaper: "Producers are working flat-out to get Nick and Michael on board. Nick hasn't done any major TV work for the best part of a decade. To get him back into Albert (more) » - By Daniel Kilkelly 12 September 2011 2:30 AM, PDT | Virgin Media - TV | See recent Virgin Media - TV news » The Wicks brothers are set to make a dramatic return to ' EastEnders '. Simon and David Wicks - played by Nick Berry and Michael French - will be part of a shock storyline which leads to the death of their mother Pat Butcher ( Pam St Clement ). It has been 21 years since Nick appeared in the BBC One series and bosses are working hard to secure his return. An insider said: "Producers are working flat out to get Nick and Michael on board. Nick hasn't done any major TV work for the best part of a decade.

To get him back into Albert » 27 July 2011 5:02 AM, PDT | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news » Time to close that file marked "whatever happened to Nick Berry ?" The former EastEnders star is the Daily Mirror's page three, er, fella after he turned up on ITV1's breakfast show Lorraine. New show to promote, Nick? Apparently not. B-rod has retired from acting and has been a stay-at-home dad for the past eight years, reports the paper. "I had a good innings and I just thought, I want to be at home now," said the actor. "I have been doing the school run and I'm a very proud gardener." And if you missed his final BBC1 series, In Deep – let's be honest, who didn't? – you can catch it on DVD now. Perfect daytime viewing, Monkey imagines.

Television industryEastEndersTelevisionDramaSoap operaMonkey guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds » - Monkey 8 July 2011 1:39 AM, PDT | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news » Actor Pam St Clement says quitting BBC1 soap after more than 25 years will be like a 'bereavement' EastEnders veteran Pam St Clement is to bow out of Albert Square, more than a quarter of a century after making her debut as no-nonsense Pat. The actor, 69, one of the longest-serving stars of the show, will leave Walford later this year. St Clement said she had other things she wanted to do but said leaving the soap would be like a "bereavement". During her colourful years in the show, Pat remarried several times, has gone to prison and enjoyed affairs with Walford characters such as infamous lothario Den Watts ( Leslie Grantham ).

St Clement joined the BBC1 show in 1986 – a year after it launched – and became noted for her dangly earrings and brassy bleached hairdo. She was first seen after arriving in the Square to break the news to Pete Beale ( Peter Dean » 11 April 2011 4:17 AM, PDT | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news » Robert Sheehan is to leave the E4 superhero drama. So will the show be damaged by losing its 'fittest' star, or could it emerge healthier than ever, like Doctor Who? Farewell Nathan, leading light of E4's Asbo superheroes drama Misfits . Robert Sheehan , who plays the cocky motormouth (in life as well as on screen, judging by his limelight-hogging at the many recent awards ceremonies) has decided to call it a day, and will leave the show in a web-only episode that will be released later this year ahead of series three.

Nathan's departure after an-as-yet unspecified incident in Las Vegas will see alpha male Rudy join the gang of Kelly ( Lauren Socha ), Curtis ( Nathan Stewart-Jarrett ), Alisha ( Antonia Thomas ) and Simon ( Iwan Rheon ). So what will Sheehan's decision mean for Misfits ? When I told my 13-year-old twin nieces that a character was leaving their favourite TV show, they were praying » - Ben Dowell 18 January 2011 4:11 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news » The Good Wife actress Archie Panjabi has credited British soap opera actor Nick Berry with kickstarting her career by responding to her fan mail and offering tips on how to start out in the industry. The Emmy Award-winning Brit, who emigrated to the U.S. for her role in the hit drama, fell in love with acting after being drawn to longrunning U.K. soap EastEnders because it was the only primetime British TV series to feature an Indian family. Panjabi wrote to the show's star Berry asking for acting advice and he told her to find herself an agent, and she admits she'd love to meet the actor and thank him in person.

She tells Britain's S magazine, "I was drawn to EastEnders because they had the first Indian family, so I thought, 'Ok, I can make it in TV.' Then Nick Berry turned up and I went through a phase of writing to him. I said that I really wanted to make it as an actor and asked how to do it. He said to buy (industry magazine) The Stage and get an agent from that, so that's exactly what I did. He was a huge influence on me - I'd love to meet him one day." » 2016 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 9 items from 2011 IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.

Pat's all folks: Butcher quits Eastenders after 25 years - Daily Record Pat's all folks: Butcher quits Eastenders after 25 years EASTENDERS icon Pam St Clement is quitting the show after more than 25 years. Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email EASTENDERS icon Pam St Clement is quitting the show after more than 25 years. Pam, who played Pat Butcher, told friends on set she has "had enough" of the soap. Pat became famous for her dangly earrings and brassy bleached hairdo, as well as a string of husbands and lovers. Pam, 69, said: "I have enjoyed 25-and-a-half wonderful years in EastEnders creating the character of Pat but feel it's time to hang up her earrings. "Leaving the EastEnders 'family' will be akin to a bereavement but I'm looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue." Close friend Barbara Windsor, 73, who played Peggy Mitchell alongside Pam in Albert Square for two decades, led the tributes to her pal's time on the soap.

She said: "Pam created a truly iconic character in Pat. "I was privileged enough to be a part of her journey, as Peggy and Pat fought, laughed and cried together. "Pam will be greatly missed by the company and the viewers. "I personally adore Pam and I can't wait to start having all those lunches we promised each other." Steve McFadden, 52, who plays Phil Mitchell, said: "I always loved the on-screen relationship between Pam and Mike Reid, especially when they worked behind the bar in the Queen Vic. "This was one of the golden eras for me and I learnt a lot from both of them." Patsy Palmer, 39, who is Pat's on-screen granddaughter Bianca, said: "Pam is the most professional person I have ever worked with. "She is an amazing actress who never fails to make me cry when we do scenes together." Pam is second only to Adam Woodyatt - who plays Ian Beale - as the longestserving member of the cast. John Yorke, controller of BBC drama production, said: "It's always a sad day when one of our stars leave.

"When those stars are as important as Pam St Clement and the character as iconic as Pat Butcher, the blow is doubly hard. "She has been integral to the programme's success from the very beginning - her love of Frank, her take-noprisoners nature and her arrings have made her a part of British culture. "For most actors that would be legacy enough. "The fact that Pam is also a total professional, an endless champion of the programme and a joy to work with is an added bonus." PAT'S TOP MOMENTS ARRIVAL AND FIGHTS WITH PETE Pat turned up in the Queen Vic in 1986 and immediately caused chaos by telling son Simon Wicks that Pete Beale was not his father. PAT AND FRANK GET MARRIED Old flame Frank arrived on the Square in 1987 and the pair were married in 1989, taking over the Queen Vic as landlord and lady. PAT AND ROY GET MARRIED With shady Frank having done a runner, Pat was wooed by impotent car dealer Roy Evans, and the pair eventually married in 1996.

AFFAIR WITH FRANK When Frank returned and married Peggy Mitchell, the couple joined Roy and Pat on a Spanish holiday, during which Frank seduced Pat. When Peggy found out, there was a face-slapping showdown in the Vic. ROY DIES Her marriage to Roy survived the of said: one Frank affair, but when he discovered that she had kept secret an affair as between his son's wife and Frank's son Ricky, he was enraged and his weak heart gave way in 1993. PAT AND PATRICK A lonely Pat started flirting with married shopkeeper Patrick to from her noprisoners her part Truemain in 2006 but after a brief affair, they were found out by his wife Yolande and publicly shamed. PAT IS HIT BY A CAR When Ian's daughter Lucy ran away in 2008, Pat tried to get the truth a from his son Steven but was knocked down. Steven tried to smother her in hospital to stop her revealing the truth but she survived.

Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent Pam St Clement - Mirror News Pam St Clement Pam was cast as colourful Pat Butcher in EastEnders in 1986 and went on to become one of the BBC soap's longest-serving cast members until her decision to hang up her earrings and leave the show in 2011. Openly bisexual, the actress is a keen conservationist and also a trained teacher. EastEnders' Pat Butcher on why she had to give up the role that had come to define her | Daily Mail Online comments When Pam St Clement strolls onto the terrace at the posh spa hotel where we meet, heads turn. Conversation stops. ‘Isn’t that Pat from EastEnders?’ whispers one of the ladies lunching. ‘I thought she’d died?’ Which, of course, Pat did (of cancer on New Year’s Day in the arms of her on-screen son David Wicks after 25 years in Albert Square). And oh how we miss her.

Dear old Pat Harris-Beale-Wicks-Butcher-Evans, with her big flashy earrings and screeches of, ‘I’ve just about had enough of you Janine.’ Oh how we miss Pat's big gold hooped earrings Pam St Clement as the dreadlocked villain Mazzola in the award-winning CBBC children¿s series Leonardo Indeed, we’re just ten minutes into the interview when a lovely yummy mummy stops at our table. ‘I’m sorry but we really miss you,’ she says, and she means it. ‘Oh thank you. That’s kind of you. Bless you,’ says Pam in a rich, mellifluous voice that’s more Made In Chelsea than EastEnders. ‘But I’m afraid I can’t come back unless I get into a shower and do it. I don’t think the audience wants to see me in the shower.’ She is of course referring to the famous Dallas scene, where after Bobby Ewing had been dead for one season he returned by walking out of the shower – it had all been a dream. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The real Pam St Clement is funny, warm, bright and, although she’d probably hate me for saying it, surprisingly posh too.

In fact, it takes a good five minutes to get used to this proper Pam. She’s sitting here with her bleached blonde hair and dangly earrings looking much as Pat might at an Albert Square knees-up. It’s only when she opens her mouth – and heart – that you realise how brilliantly she was acting her socks off for the past quarter of a century. This month she appears in her first drama since EastEnders as the dreadlocked villain Mazzola in the award-winning CBBC children’s series Leonardo. ‘I like the fact it’s a bit off-the-wall. It’s history for youngsters and it’s classy. This is the first drama I’ve done since EastEnders deliberately. Pam St Clement starring in Within These Walls 'To play a character for 25-and-a-half years, I felt I was constantly draining the batteries. The time had come to go. I wanted to recapture myself. I also wanted to leave the stage while the fans still wanted more hopefully.’ Which, of course, we did. In fact, so highly charged was Pam’s emotional exit there was barely a dry eye at Elstree Studios nor, for that matter, on sofas up and down the country.

‘When we filmed my final episode, everywhere I went people were crying,’ she says. ‘I stayed strangely aloof. Any emotion I had went totally into Pat. I had to stay in control of me. But I felt so drained after I’d done it. Then some idiot asked, “How do you feel about it?” I said, “Go away. I just want to go home.”’ Pam slept the sleep of a thousand martyrs that night. For more than 25 years she’d carried Pat’s life alongside her own. ‘It’s like having a doppelgänger,’ she says. ‘It is a great honour to be able to play a part for that long, but I was giving everything to Pat and I wasn’t giving anything to me.’ Pam had always put Pat first. So much so that, until now, she’s never spoken about her private self, believing to do so would affect the audience’s reaction to Pat. So, when we meet, I know she was married and divorced by her early thirties and that she enjoyed a 17-year relationship with another woman, which ended in 1994.

I also know her mother, Irene, died shortly after she was born and her father, Reginald, a director at a toy company who remarried five times, farmed her out to holiday homes when she wasn’t boarding at her private school in the South Downs. Indeed, she has only briefly spoken of her childhood, saying, ‘When I was just pre-teens, I went down to Devon to some people who were very good at taking on youngsters, and what began as a business arrangement became my home.’ Pat and Frank's wedding in 1989 was one that avid Eastenders viewers will remember Later it was discovered that she had a half-brother, Reg Clements, from her father’s first marriage. Pam, brought up as an only child, was unaware he existed. ‘I haven’t met him,’ Pam tells me now. ‘I felt it was opening a whole can of worms. You can’t turn round afterwards and say, “I don’t know you. I don’t have any relevance to you. You’re a stranger.” Blood isn’t thicker than water, is it? ‘It’s about who opens their soul to you. I haven’t been in a relationship for a few years.

I’m a silly person in relationships. I tend to subsume myself in somebody else’s needs, so I’m better off being on my own. Inside me is a need to care. Had that been directed towards having children...’ she shrugs. ‘I thought I didn’t have a sufficient role model to be a mother. Now I’m older I know I could have, but by the time I was old enough to face the fact I could do it, I was too old to. Isn’t that a silliness? Life doesn’t play you a fair hand there.’ Her confession moves both of us – briefly. Pam is one of those no-nonsense types who has little truck with self-pity. So she pulls herself up in her chair and continues. ‘I had a rubbish childhood but playing the blame game is just ridiculous. You’re dealt what you’re dealt. Be positive about it and get on with it.’ Pam is one of those no-nonsense types who has little truck with self-pity Which speaks volumes about this astonishing woman. After her mother died of TB when she was just 18 months old, Pam wasn’t a particularly wanted child until she was embraced by her ‘adopted’ family on a hill farm in Devon.

Today, she remains passionate about animals, supporting numerous charities and appearing on This Morning as the show’s animal expert. ‘Living there was almost like coming home,’ she says. ‘It filled my spirit. I was like a loose canon – a little thing rolling about waiting to fit into the right slot, and that was absolutely the right slot. ‘My father was the only link to roots I had before that. I can’t say he was a role model, but he was my only piece of earth that didn’t move. But he did move. He went where he liked, when he liked and, if he didn’t turn up to see me in school and I was left with my little suitcase, hat and school coat saying, “I thought my daddy was going to come”, one of my friends’ parents would take me out.’ Pam would never dream of saying so, but it’s clear her father was a shamefully selfish man. ‘He was Daddy, and yet I started to see objectively his behaviour in terms of unreliability, of drinking. His behaviour with other women – he had lots of relationships,’ she says. ‘Most of my life I thought it was my fault. Then suddenly the scales fell away.’ Pam rather fell into acting.

She had been desperate to be a vet. Black’s Veterinary Dictionary was her dearest possession. But, after failing her Latin (a requirement for vets back then), she applied to drama school. And so, the child who, in her words ‘floated without roots’, settled into a profession that allowed her to float in and out of roles. ‘I don’t think anybody should be put into boxes for a very good reason,’ she says. ‘You don’t know what you’re going to be like next year – or what person you’re going to fall in love with.’ Pam was in her twenties when she married. She doesn’t wish to rake over past relationships, but when I wonder if this marriage was borne from a desire to put down roots, she says, ‘I think it was much more physical than that.’ She laughs a throaty laugh and I sense hers has been a life well lived. After numerous roles on TV – including prison drama Within These Walls – in films and at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Royal, she was offered the role in EastEnders. Steve McFadden as Phil Mitchell starred alongside Pam St.

Clement as Pat Evans and Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell for many years ‘Pat came in and created havoc for a few months, then the creator Julia Smith wanted her back. I couldn’t see how she could come back because she was very two-dimensional. But Julia said, “We’ll peel back the layers of onion skin and see why she puts her fists up before she engages her brain.” I hope that’s what I’ve spent years doing.’ Pam didn’t just act Pat. She knew her. ‘Pat loved Frank Butcher when she was a youngster but he got his first wife pregnant so married her, and Pat went to pieces. She was easy prey in terms of clubbing and playing about. She had two boys by then and had to keep a roof over their heads, so she’d pick up men and they’d have temporary uncles. She was a lousy mother.’ She recalls the memorable scene in which Frank, played by the late Mike Reid, turned up on Pat’s doorstep wearing nothing but a motorised bow tie. ‘I had quite a laugh over that. But I had to be very sensitive because Mike was very concerned and kept saying, “It’s ever so cold in here.” Bless his heart.

Most men don’t think twice about a girl taking off their clothes for a scene, but as soon as they have to... I was very close to Mike.’ Closer, it seems, than to her father. Did she grieve for him when he died at 89 of a chest infection 19 years ago? ‘No,’ she says. Did she love him? ‘No,’ she maintains. ‘But you can’t just abandon somebody, can you? He was unconscious for a while before he died so I sat with him. The amazing thing is he never said anything to me, but after he died a lot of people said, “Oh, he was so proud of you.” I said, “What?” Isn’t that extraordinary?’ So what does Pam do with herself now without the relentless demands of a soap? ‘I’m letting things sift,’ she says. ‘It’s taken a long time to get me back and to stop rushing about thinking, “I have to prove something.” Then she smiles the warmest of smiles and adds, ‘I’m just being kind to myself.’ Which, I feel, is just as it should be. Leonardo, Thursday, 5pm, CBBC.

End of an earring – The Sun FOR a quarter of a century she was famed for her massive earrings, her gaudy outfits and her constant shout of: “I’ve just about had enough of you Janine.” But last night EastEnders’ Pam St Clement, 69, said she was leaving her role of Pat Evans after 25 years. Tributes to the soap legend were led by Barbara Windsor, who described Pam’s character — also known to millions as Pat Butcher — as “truly iconic”. Barbara, who played Pat’s old sparring partner Peggy Mitchell, said: “I was privileged enough to be a part of her journey as Peggy and Pat fought, laughed and cried together. “Pam will be greatly missed by the company and the viewers. I adore Pam — and I can’t wait to start having all those lunches we promised each other.” Patsy Palmer, who plays Pat’s wayward granddaughter Bianca Butcher, said Pam’s acting often reduced her to tears. She said: “Pam is the most professional person I have ever worked with. She is an amazing actress who never fails to make me cry when we do scenes together.

She will be missed by everyone at EastEnders but I feel really privileged that I have had this wonderful lady playing my nan for many years.” Sid Owen — Pat’s stepson Ricky Butcher — said: “I’m very sad to see Pam go, we’ve had a really close working relationship over the years. “She’s such an icon and I will miss her a great deal.” Charlie Brooks, who plays another of Pat’s enemies Janine Butcher, said she was knocked for six by the news. “I’m devastated,” she said. “Pam is one of my favourite people to work with and is also a close friend, I will miss her dearly.” Steve McFadden — who has appeared as mechanic Phil Mitchell for 21 years — said Pam was both a friend and teacher. He hailed her on-screen relationship in the Queen Vic with the late Mike Reid — who played Pat’s husband Frank — as “one of the golden eras”. Steve said: “I learned a lot from both of them. Pam is full of integrity and I have always admired her. “She is never one to shy away from speaking her mind about the programme as she has so much love for it. “EastEnders will be a strange place without Pam.

She is a lovely woman and I will truly miss her, as I am sure all the viewers will.” Pam began acting in the ’70s and her early career included small roles in Emmerdale and Minder. She has been a fixture in Albert Square since she arrived on the scene in June 1986 as Pat Wicks, a former prostitute with jumbo earrings and peroxide hair. She immediately dropped the bombshell that ex-hubby Pete Beale — played by Peter Dean — was not the father of her son Simon (Nick Berry). But it was her relationship with Frank, that produced her finest moments. The lovebirds married in style three years after her arrival and had a tense seven-year marriage that ended in divorce. She became Pat Evans in 1996 after marrying downtrodden Roy Evans. She later cheated on Roy with her ex Frank, who was by then married to her rival Peggy. Peggy’s discovery of the affair in 2000 resulted in a memorable fight in the Queen Vic. Pat will also go down in soap history as one of the show’s most prolific man-eaters, getting through a string of fellas including “Dirty” Den Watts and the charming Patrick Trueman.

She also felt the long arm of the law and was banged up for a hit-and-run incident. Pam always claimed she was different to her on-screen character. She once said: “The only similarity is an emotional vulnerability but there’s no other similarity at all. “She opens her mouth before she engages her brain. I’m much more studied and laid-back.” BBC drama boss John Yorke, a former EastEnders producer, said Pam’s contribution had been a key plank of the show’s success. He said: “It’s always sad when one of our stars leaves EastEnders but when those stars are as important as Pam St Clement and the character as iconic as Pat Butcher, the blow is doubly hard. “She has been integral to the programme’s success. Her love of Frank, her ‘take no prisoners’ nature and her earrings have made her a part of British culture. For most actors that would be legacy enough.

The fact that Pam is also a total professional, an endless champion of the programme and a joy to work with is an added bonus.” Pat’s life in Albert Square 1986: TART with a heart Pat Beale arrives, but early in 1987 she is left near death by the Walford Attacker. Things look up when Frank Butcher woos Pat, before presenting her with his kids Diane, Ricky and Janine. 1989: FRANK and Pat marry in typically extravagant Cockney style — with a horse and cart, jellied eels, miles of bunting and a street party attended by everyone from Dot Cotton to Pauline Fowler and Sharon Watts. 1992: PAT and Frank struggle for money and have to sell their B&B. Pat starts a cab firm but disaster strikes when she knocks down a teenage girl who dies. The police find her over the limit and she is jailed for six months. 1994: FRANK does a runner, leaving heartbroken and skint Pat to bring up his three tearaway kids. She later moves in with Roy Evans, before Frank returns to try to win her back. But Pat chooses Roy — and weds him the following year.

2000: FRANK is now married to Peggy (Barbara Windsor), but starts an affair with Pat when the families go on holiday together. She tries to end it but Frank turns up on her doorstep naked — except for a motorised bow tie. 2000: FURIOUS Peggy gets a letter from Frank telling her about his affair with Pat. Peggy reads it aloud in the packed Queen Vic and slaps the pair of them in front of half of Walford. But Pat gets back with Roy — until he dies in 2003. 2004: PAT is disgusted to find out stepdaughter Janine has murdered Roy’s son Barry, so implicates her in pal Laura Beale’s death to get revenge. Frank returns to plead for his daughter and gets Pat to change her testimony. 2008: SHE discovers that evil grandson Steven is behind Lucy Beale’s disappearance but is run over before she can tell anyone. Steven tries to smother her in hospital.

Pat Evans bids farewell to EastEnders | Radio Times Pat Evans bids farewell to EastEnders Gareth McLean looks back on Pam St Clement's 25 years in Albert Square Comments Written By 5:30 PM, 01 January 2012 When, in 1986, Pam St Clement joined the permanent cast of EastEnders, as Pete Beale’s toxic ex-wife Pat, Pam St Clement anticipated a hostile reception from the new soap’s avid viewers. Former prostitute and two-bit gangster’s moll, Pat was a nasty piece of work who antagonised the entire Beale clan, not least matriarch Lou and Pete’s then wife Kathy, by claiming – among other random acts of callousness – that Pete’s son Simon wasn’t his son at all. Introduced to bring back a grittiness to EastEnders that had been smoothed away by the soap’s success, Pat was an archetypal soap harridan. “In the early years, I thought I’d get hate mail,” St Clement, now 70, confesses. In fact, the audience took Pat to its heart.

“I think what people liked was a vivacious go-getter, a person with an interesting history who, underneath it all, was really quite vulnerable.” She couldn’t have anticipated that she’d become an EastEnders institution. Barbara Windsor, who played Pat’s long-time “frien-emy” Peggy Mitchell, says simply of her departure: “It will leave a huge gap, more than anyone else that’s been on EastEnders.” It’s been an eventful two-and-a-half decades. From being left for dead by the Walford Attacker and then, as the proprietor of PatCabs, knocking down and killing a pedestrian, through her feuds and détentes with Kathy and Peggy, to her role as matriarch of the Butcher brood, Pat’s place in Walford has been pivotal. She’s been landlady of the Vic, B&B queen bee, and has seen at least one business crash and burn – literally, at the car lot.

Then, of course, there were her men: short flings with, among others, Den Watts and Patrick Trueman; four marriages, the last one to Roy Evans; and a turbulent on-off relationship with the love of her life, Frank Butcher, played by Mike Reid. This tumultuous love – which continued even when she and Frank were married to other people, and spawned other stories, including her fractious relationship with Frank’s daughter Janine – has defined Pat’s time in Walford. Try as you might, it’s hard to forget Frank turning up on her doorstep wearing nothing but a revolving bow tie. (Fewer people remember Pat, dressed as a prison warden, appearing in a dream to Kathy, but that was just as traumatic a vision.) Pat has also acquired a celebrity beyond the world of E20, which is in stark contrast to the very private St Clement, who rarely gives interviews and about whom little is known. Even people who don’t watch EastEnders are aware of “Fat Pat”, her tabloid sobriquet that eventually made its way back into the fictional universe of Walford, with wicked stepdaughter Janine spitting it out when feeling especially vicious. And then there are her enormous earrings.

At Elstree, where EastEnders is filmed, there was famously a cabinet in the costume department full of Pat’s earrings, some sent in by members of the public. Pat was even referenced in E4’s sitcom The Inbetweeners when one of the characters had his ears pierced. “Pat collected earrings like other women collect shoes,” says Tony Caunter, who played her husband Roy. When Roy discovered her affair with Frank, he snarled in rage, “I never liked your earrings.” Caunter says, “It’s become one of the talking points for people when they meet me.” With those statement earrings, the garish make-up and signature fur-collared coat, Pat cut quite a dash. St Clement proudly lays claim to creating her character’s look: “I love the idea that women from my generation and from that particular social place tend to be stuck in their heyday – and the blue eyeshadow and bright pink lipstick were very much her heyday. “The earrings are loosely based on one of the characters I based her physicality on, and her hair was based on a bus conductress I saw.

We actors are parasites feeding on everything we experience and see.” Speaking to St Clement, it’s striking how well spoken she is, unlike Pat. This shouldn’t be a surprise – she’s an actress, after all – but so often soap actors are cast close to type. Caunter says, “Pat and Pam are different. Pat’s hard, an East Ender, not a lady to cross. Pam is gentle, a country girl, educated and calm. A total lady.” So will St Clement miss Pat? “I don’t know. She’s been my doppelganger all these years and I might find myself emerging from the image of Pat like a butterfly from a chrysalis. I don’t think I can answer this question until after my final scenes are transmitted and I put the show away. Then my grieving process can start, if it’s going to.” For the rest of us, the grieving starts a lot sooner. RIP Pat Harris Beale Wicks Butcher Evans. We shan’t see her like again. This is an edited version of an article from the issue of Radio Times magazine that went on sale 11 December 2011.

Question: Name the actress who left Eastenders in 2011 after 25 years in the show, she played Pat Evans (also Beale, Wicks and Butcher)?
Answer: Pam St Clement